Safety belt



March 10, 1942. F. G. MANsJoN 2,275,450

SAFETY BELT Filed June 25, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Maxfch 10, 1942.' F, G, MANsoN 2275,45@

SAFETY BELT Filed June 25, 1940 V2 Sheets-Sheet 2 /N VEN To n? Patented Mar. 10, l1942 A.

2,275,450 SAFETY BELT Frank G. Manson, Dayton, Ohio Application June 25, 1940, serial No. 342,312

(Granted under the act of 'March 3, lass, as

Claims.

amended April 30, 19

The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by 4or Afor the Government for governmental purposes, without the payment to me of any-royalty thereon.

The present invention relates to safety belt together. by a single quick release fastening means.

' for use in airplanes and the like, and has particuv y lar reference to safety belts of the type includ` ing both a lap belt and shoulder straps secured ,l

The general object of the invention is to proy vide an improved safety belt which will reduce the forward movement ofthe head and upper portion of the body of the wearer, so as to. reduce the likelihood of head injuries in aircraft accidents.

A furtherv object of the invention is to provide a combination lapl and shoulder belt securedtogether by animproved quick release fastening meansin a conventional Iposition in front of the wearer.

I A furtherobject is to provide an improved securing and adjusting means for a safety belt strap, which may be operated quickly and conveniently without careful attention on the part of the user. l l

lWhile it is recognized as highly desirable to to reduce head injuries, yet there still exists a need for a safety belt which will accomplish this purpose without being cumbersome, dimcult of adjustment, and slow and impositive in the 're- -ner in which the .safety belt is attachedto a 'provide a safety belt for airplanes and the like safety belt be independent of the parachute harness or other equipment worn by the user, 'and that the safety belt be self contained with the chair or seat,` and remain with the' chair or seat,`

both when the user is securedin the chair and after 'the user has left the chair.

The above objects and desirable features :are

attained in the present invention in the novel structure herein shown and described, wherein,` for the purpose of illustration, is shown only a preferred embodiment.

In the drawings: y

Figurefl is aI view showing the safety belt of the present invention detached from the chair;

Figure 2 is a section taken along the line 2--2 in Figure 1; Figure 3 is a side elevation showing the man- .chair in an airplane or the like;

Figure 4 is a rear view of the chair and the safety belt;

Figure 5 is a front view showing the loose ends of the belt as they are disposed when the quick release coupling is unfastened;

Figure 6 is a view in section of the chain adjusting device.

'The belt of the present invention is composed of a lap belt, having`two-parts I and 2, and a generally V-shaped shoulder belt 3, having means lease action in freeing the user in time of emergency. In present. day airplanes, the pilots and others having functions to performl incident to the operation of the airplane are so completely occupied by the complex duties of their functions that they should not be required to give conscious thought to eect the proper adjustment of the safety belt. It is highly desirable that the initial adjustment, as well as subsequent adjustments, f

necessitated by body movements in flight, be accomplished without attention to a plurality of separate adjusting devices which are slow and dimcult to operate. It is accordingly desirable that the tension of the shoulder 'straps may be instantly released to allow a momentary freedom n is further desirable that the quina release device, for entirely freeing the. user from the' safety belt, be located in a conventional position and be'operated in a' conventional manner to customed. It is still further desirable that the which experienced pilots have long'become-acof attachment with the lap belt when the two parts of the latter are coupled together.- vThe lap belt and the shoulder belt are disposed on a,

chair 4 in the general manner shown in Figure 3,

with the shoulder belt anchored to the chair by means of a chain adjusting device 5.

Referring now particularly to Figure 1, parts I and `2 have attached thereto .pivoting coupling rings B and length adjusting buckles 1, in a manner well understood in the art, the parts I and 2 being composed of fabric webbing or the like. Se-

- cured in a loop in the end of the part I opposite l the pivoting coupling ring 6 is the catch loop I0, having a connecting bar II. The catch loop III contains a shoulder portion I2 of considerable width and a narrow tongue portion I3. Part 2 carries, at the end opposite the pivoting coupling ring 8, the coupling member, having a connecting bar I5 secured in a loop in the web` hing. Coupling member I4 has a body portion ma receiving loop Il and a pivoted latching' member I8. lThe pivotal support for the'latching member I8 is indicated at I9 and is attached to the body portion I6, the latter being cutaway to allow for pivoting action of the member I8. The latching member I8 is provided on one end with a Vhook portion 20 of arcuatecontour concentric aboutthe'pivot I9, and on the other end with ahrelease arm 2|, which may be provided with an aperture 22. Release arm 2i is provided on `opposite sides with recesses-23 for a frictionai bar 34.

when extending substantially vertically upward, A

engagement with spring operated detent means contained within cylindrical housings on the body portion I6. 'I'he detent means preferably consists of ball elements urged into extended position by coil springs within the housings 24, the ends of said housings being peened over to pre- 4vent loss of the balls when the latching member ismoved to open position. A guard may be secured to a plate 26 which-is, in turn, attached tothe catch loop I6.

The length of the tongue I3 is such that, when the shoulder portion I2, in the manner shown. .It willbe seen from Figure l that 'the loops 21,

which may be metal rings or the like, are carried by the ends of the shoulder straps'30-3II on the shoulder belt 3. By reason of this construction, the ends of the shoulder straps may be positivelyanchored to the lap belt coupling when the parts of the latter are secured together. When the 'lap belt couplingis released by movement of `the release arm 2I, so as to unhook the tongue I3 from the hook portion 26, the tension on the lap belt will draw the endsthereofl apart, causing- -therings 21 to immediately become disengaged 'Y from the catch loop Ill. By reason of the loose fitof the rings 21 upon the'tongue I3 and the sloping sides of the shoulder portions I2, the release of the loops 21 will be quick and positive and will be accomplished without attention on the part of the user."

Each pivoting coupling ring 6 is attached to the lower part of the chair by a bolt, jor the like,

in the position shown in Figure 3. Straps 36 maybe provided on each side of thechair to hold will hold the cover 46 open so that by virtue of the curved lip 41 the chain may slide in either direction through the tube. The strap 32, `and hence the entire shoulder belt 3, is tightened by raising the .bar 34, in the manner described, to apply the desired tension, this action causing the chain 33 to pass through the tube 42 in a direction from right to left as viewed in Figures 3 and 6. When it is desired to loosen the shoulder belt, the bar 34 is held so as to extend the loose end of the chain 33 upward under slight tension,

as to maintain cover 46 in open position, and then tension is applied to the chain in the reverse direction by means of the shoulders and body of the wearer so that the chain will slide freely past the lip 41 to allow the desired looseness to be obtained in the belt. When thedesired looseness or tension has been obtained in the belt, merely releasing the bar 34 will allow the spring 43 to return the cover 46 to closed position, thus locking the chain securely in the slot without attention on the part -of the user to secure the proper locking action. The bar 34 constitutes positive means for limiting themaximum slack obtainable in the shoulder belt, the amount of such slack depending, of course, upon the length i of the chain 33.

Thus it will be seen that the chain'adjustingl device herein described provides a quick and convenient means for adjusting the tension on a shoulder belt, or other element of a safety belt or the parts I and 2 of the lap belt in an accessible l position prior to use.

The shoulder straps 30-36 are secured together in the form of a V, preferably by stitching, at the point v3|, and the shoulder belt 3 then continues as a single strap or web 32, which is attached at its end to the chain 33, carrying the 'I'he shoulder belt 3 is trained over the back of the chair' in the manner shown in Figure 4, passing through the upper guide slot 40 and the lower guide means 4I. Strap 32 then passes forwardly beneath the chair where its. forward end is anchored in adjusted position by means o the chain adjusting device 5. The chain adjusting device 5 comprises a tube 42 of curved Jform, corresponding roughly to the shape of the forward portion of the bottom of the chair 4, and provided with a bracket 43 for attachment to the chair bottom. The lower or harness, without precise manipulation or careful Further, if it` attention' on the part of the user. isv desired to obtain a momentary freedom from the restraint of the shoulder belt, such additional freedom may be instantly obtained lby merely raising the bar 34 and allowing an additional length of the free end of the chain to slide through the tube, while the occupant is naturally leaning forward or sidewise in an effort to obtain the desired freedom. As soon as the occupant has returned to hisnormal position ln the chair, another quick tug on the bar 34 will return the chain to the position giving-the desired t'ension. In any case, locking of the adjustment is eifected automatically when the user releases'the Figure 5 illustrates the positions assumed by the ends of the various parts of the safety belt' when the coupling device on the lap belt has been released. It will be seen that all the attached parts have separated from each other and are rearward end of the tube 42 maybe provided with a bell mouth 44 to guide thejchain. The upper y or forward end of' the tube 42 is directed substan- 'tially vertically upward and is provided on its forward side with a` chain engaging slot 45'of a width to lock the chain against sliding movement. The upper end of the tube 42 is further provided with a capping cover 46 having a curved 1111.41, the cover being pivoted to the tubeat 48 and provided with a spring 49 to urge the cover to closed positionas shownvin Figure 6.

The operation of the chain adjusting device is such that the cover 46, under the action of the spring 49, normally holds the chain 33 pressed into the slot 46 and Athus secured. against sliding movement withintube l42.l An upward pull on the bar '34 will disengage the'cliain from the slot and raise4 the cover- 46 and, the chain,

free of restraint so that the occupant may leave the chair without giving attention to the disposition of the belt ends. The positions of the belt ends in Figure 5 may also be said to represent the way they would be applied over the shoulders 'and lap of the occupant prior to engaging the loops v21-21 over the tongue I3 in the securing of the'coupling.

While I have shown and described but a single embodiment of my invention,it is to' be under- I stood that it is capable of many modifications. C hanges, therefore, in the construction and ar .rangement may be made which do not departfrom the spirit and scope of the invention as disclosed in Ithe appended claims. Having now described my invention and the preferred manner` in which the same mayl be l 'practiced, what Iclaim as new and desire to secure as Letters Patent is:

l. In a safety belt for an airplanev or the like,

a chair having a bottom portion and a back p0r-v tion, a lap belt having ends attached to said bottom portion, said lap belt'including a quick release coupling, said coupling comprising a catch loop anda pivoted, hook-like latching element to engage said catch loop, a V-shaped shoulder belt having a single point of attachment with said chair, the legs of said V terminating in loops loosely receivable over said catch loop, the apex of said V'extending over said back portion and terminating in a chain passing beneath said bot'- tom portion, a tubular housing for said chain on said bottom portion and constituting said single point of attachment', la slot in an end of said tubular housing, and spring means on said housing for urging said chain into said slot.

ment being effected through the apex of said V and including adjustable means for controlling Vthe tension on said belt, a lap belt having end portions attached to the bottom portion of said chair, said lap belt having a quick release coupling disposed approximately in the lap of the wearer, and said shoulder belt having free ends terminating in means of attachment with said coupling such that release of said coupling sinultaneously frees both the lap belt and the free ends of said shoulder belt from the wearer.

3. In a safety belt for an airplane or the like, a chair having a bottom portion and a back portion, a V-shaped shoulder belt having a single point of attachment with said chair, said attachment being effected through the apex ofsaid V I shoulder belt from the wearer.

4. In a safety belt, a two part llap belt, an

6. vIn a safetybelt for an airplanejor the like, said safety belt comprising a twopart lap belt and a plurality of shoulder strapsto be secured together at a lcommon point, an elongated catch loop on the end of one part of said lap belt, said catch loop having `at its extremity a narrow tongue and atI its base a,wide tapering shoulder,`

.elongated catch loop attached to the end of one of vsaid parts, a pivoted, hook-like latching element attached to the end ofthe other or said parts and adapted to engage and secure 'said catch loop, and a pair of shoulder straps, each strap terminating in a loop received over said catch loop when the latter is secured by said latching element. 5. In a safety belt, a two part lap belt, an elongated catch loop'attached to the end of one of said parts, said catch loop having-at its rearward end a wide shoulder portion and at its forward end a relatively narrow tongue, the other part of said belt being provided at its end with .a receiving loop adapted to receive the to'ngue of said catch loop, a pivoted, hook-like latching element on said other part and adapted to engage and secure the tongue of said catch loop when projected through said receiving loop, and a pair of V,shoulder straps, each strap terminating in a loop received over said tongue, the loops on said shoulder straps being confined betweenv said Shoulder and said receiving loop when said catch loop is engaged and secured by said latching eie-V ment,

a receiving loop on the end of the other part of said lap belt, said receiving loop being adapted to receive said tongue, a pivoted, hook-like latching` element adjacent said receiving loop and adapted to engage and secure said tongue when said tongueis projected through .said receiving.

loop, and a loop on the end of each of said shoulder straps adapted to be loosely received over said tongue, said 'loops on said shoulder straps being confined on said tongue between said shoulder and said receiving loop.

-7. In a safety belt for an airplane or the like, a chair having a bottom portion and a back portion, said bottom portion having an upwardly curved forward edge, a shoulder strap extending over the upper edge of said back portion, a chain attached to said strap and extending forwardly beneath said bottom portion, a tubular housing for said chain attached to said bottom portion and having an upwardly curved forward end, a

chain engaging'slot in said end, and a. resiliently ward end adjacent the forward edge of said bottom portion, a chaini engaging slot in said end, and spring operated'means to urge said chain 4into locking. engagement with said slot.

9. In a safety beltfor an-airplane or the like, a chair, a strap for adjusting the tension on said safety belt, a chain having one end attached to an end of said strap, a device on said chair-for anchoring said chain in aplurality of selective positions to determine the effective length of said strap, vsaid device comprising a tube to house said chain, a chain-engaging slot in a side of said tube and means toV urge said chain into said slot in a direction at right angles to the direction of the chain in said tube, said means being ineffective whenV the free end ofl said chain is tensloned in alignment with said tube whereby said strap may be both loosened and tightened solely by manipulation of the free end of said chain.

l.0.,In a safety belt for an airplane or the like. a chair having a bottom portion and a back portion, a. two part lap belt attached at its ends to opposite sides of said bottomportion, a quick re- 

